In general, present product trays are manufactured from a polystyrene material which holds the meat or product and which has no fluid absorption capacity. Fluid and juice draining from the meat or product is, therefore, visible to the eye and is unsightly when using only the material to hold the product.
To assist in absorbing the fluid, it is known to use an absorbent pad positioned between the product and the tray. The absorbent pad assists in absorbing the fluid or juice exuded by the product thus tending to display a more sightly product than would otherwise be displayed if the juice and liquid were not so absorbed.
There are, however, numerous disadvantages with trays of this construction. Firstly, two distinct manufacturing operations are required, namely the positioning of the tray such that the product may be positioned therein and, subsequently, the positioning of the absorbent pad on the tray prior to placing the product on the absorbent pad. Such an operation is inefficient.
Secondly, the use of present trays with absorbent pads is unnecessarily expensive. There is a tendency for the pads to stick together and, therefore, often more than one pad will be placed on the tray prior to placing the product on the absorbent pad.
Yet a further problem with present trays using absorbent pads is that the pads may have a tendency to actually draw liquid out of a product. This can adversely affect the flavour of the product and, in addition, it may be actually illegal since the consumer is arguably not receiving the amount of product which was paid for at the time of purchase.
Several attempts have been made to dispose of the absorbent pad. In one attempt, a reservoir area is created beneath the product supporting layer of the tray and holes are made in the supporting layer which allow the juice or liquid to run through the holes into the reservoir area. While this allows the liquid to be hidden from view by the customer and while it dispenses with the need to use an absorbent pad, the tray will allow the juice to run back through the holes if the tray is inverted or positioned at an angle, particularly if there is an excessive amount of liquid. Furthermore, the reservoir is designed with a capacity which might not be large enough to hold all the liquid or juice which is exuded from the product.